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Parenting & Family · head to head

What to Expect vs BabyCenter

What to Expect logo

What to Expect

Parenting & Family

Pregnancy and parenting guidance from conception to toddler

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
BabyCenter logo

BabyCenter

Parenting & Family

Comprehensive pregnancy and baby information app

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: What to Expect what to Expect is a free, ad-supported consumer content site with no reader subscription tier, per the 31 Dec 2022 archive capture; BabyCenter babyCenter is free to use with no subscription tier of its own, monetising through advertising and partnerships rather than a user fee
  • They diverge on capability: What to Expect covers Pregnancy tracking, BabyCenter covers Week-by-week pregnancy updates.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which What to Expect and BabyCenter actually diverge.

Attributes where What to Expect and BabyCenter differ
AttributeWhat to ExpectBabyCenter
Pricing modelfreemiumfree
Founded20001997

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), platforms (Web, Ios, Android), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Parenting & Family).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in What to Expect

  • Pregnancy tracking
  • Weekly updates
  • Symptom tracker
  • Baby names database
  • Pregnancy trackers

Only in BabyCenter

  • Week-by-week pregnancy updates
  • Baby development tracker
  • Growth charts
  • Vaccine schedules
  • Photo storage
  • Spanish language support

Both cover

  • Parenting tips
  • Community forums
  • Expert articles
  • Milestone tracking
  • Health apps
  • Data privacy
  • Secure servers
  • Cloud deployment
  • Web support
  • Ios support
  • Android support
  • English language support

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

What to Expect

  • Pregnancy trackingnot BabyCenter
  • Parenting guidancenot BabyCenter
  • Community support
  • Health information

BabyCenter

  • Pregnancy informationnot What to Expect
  • Baby trackingnot What to Expect
  • Community support
  • Health information

Both are used for community support, health information, on those jobs the choice comes down to price and fit rather than capability.

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

What to Expect

  • What to Expect is a free, ad-supported consumer content site with no reader subscription tier, per the 31 Dec 2022 archive capture

BabyCenter

  • BabyCenter is free to use with no subscription tier of its own, monetising through advertising and partnerships rather than a user fee

Pricing, plan by plan

What to Expect

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Weekly pregnancy updates
    • Parenting tips
    • Symptom tracker

BabyCenter

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Week-by-week updates
    • Baby tracker
    • Community forums

Which should you pick?

Choose What to Expect if

  • You need pregnancy tracking.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android.
  • You also want weekly updates.
What to Expect review

Choose BabyCenter if

  • You need week-by-week pregnancy updates.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android.
  • You also want baby development tracker.
BabyCenter review

Questions people ask

Is What to Expect or BabyCenter better?
Neither clearly leads. What to Expect starts at Free and BabyCenter at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, What to Expect or BabyCenter?
What to Expect starts at Free and BabyCenter at Free.
Does What to Expect or BabyCenter run on more platforms?
Both run on Web, Ios, Android, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
Can I use What to Expect for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is What to Expect best used for?
What to Expect is most often used for pregnancy tracking, parenting guidance, community support, health information. Of those, pregnancy tracking and parenting guidance are not what BabyCenter is typically brought in for.
What can What to Expect do that BabyCenter cannot?
What to Expect covers Pregnancy tracking, Weekly updates, Symptom tracker, Baby names database. BabyCenter covers Week-by-week pregnancy updates, Baby development tracker, Growth charts, Vaccine schedules. Both handle Parenting tips, Community forums, Expert articles, Milestone tracking.
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